By PETE THAMEL

Published: August 9, 2009

It's kind of like Tiger Woods going up against the field in golf. Tim, Sam and Colt are Tiger. The field is the thousands of others lining up from Chestnut Hill, Mass., to Honolulu.

There are a handful of decent long shots around the country. Houston quarterback Case Keenum ranked No. 1 in total offense last year. The machine that is Southern California could elevate Joe McKnight. Brigham Young's Max Hall was on some Heisman lists before being swallowed by Texas Christian's defense. (The ever-savvy HeismanPundit.com is talking up LeGarrette Blount of Oregon, who ran for more than 1,000 yards while splitting time last year.)

It is looking like a down year in the Big East, but don't rule out West Virginia tailback Noel Devine. There are plenty of questions about the Mountaineers, from the sideline prowess of Coach Bill Stewart to four new starters on the offensive line. But Devine is as proven a commodity as there is in college football.

He has averaged just less than 7 yards a carry in his first two years in Morgantown and will inevitably receive the ball more now that Pat White has moved on to the N.F.L.

''We need to give him some help,'' Stewart said of Devine. ''Just like Patrick White last year, one guy can't win it all. When you're the only guy in the backfield, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who is going to get the ball.''

Devine had a bizarre, tragic and nomadic youth. His parents died of AIDS before he was 12 and he was adopted by Deion Sanders. He became one of college football's first YouTube star recruits and ended a highly publicized recruitment by picking West Virginia.

Stewart said that Devine was emerging as one of the team's leaders.

''From what the players and strength coaches have told me, his leadership skills have been outstanding this summer,'' Stewart said.

''That's been the biggest thing that he's brought to the table this summer.''

nytimes.com/thequad

PHOTO: West Virginia's Noel Devine has a career average of just less than 7 yards a carry. (PHOTOGRAPH BY JED JACOBSOHN/GETTY IMAGES)